An Unusually Usual Start
by laurawillows
Summary: Minerva sees two of her staff who would be perfect for each other, except for their blind stubbornness.  She takes matters into her own hands and throws a Masquerade Ball.  Story is completed, just taking my sweet time posting.
1. Minerva's Plot

**_Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or world of Harry Potter that JKR so eloquently created._**

Professor Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry was even more crafty than Albus Dumbledore, but in a more amicable way; if she did say so herself.

She was trying her hand at matchmaking, and it was dangerous for the two people involved, seeing as one was a warm hearted fragile woman that wanted to help everyone around her, especially the snarky man that she had risked her life to save seven years ago during the fall of Voldemort.

Hermione Granger, in her third year of teaching Transfigurations, had a heart to heart with her former head of house. Minerva had been gently trying to pry out of Hermione what was bothering her, seeing that the first year she had taught at Hogwarts she had had such fire and passion in her, and over the past two years she had seen it slowly ebb away. The dear girl had been sitting in her office when Minerva walked in for tea. She had her head down on her desk, and when she lifted it, the elder woman could see faint tear tracks upon her cheeks. With little provocation, Hermione had confessed to saving Severus Snape, much to the obvious dismay of the man. She had broken down and told Minerva of her, first, respect for him, second, admiration for all that he had done and his skill, and now some sort of an affection for the man that was bordering on love.

And at seeing the girl's sadness, and repentance for her good deed, Minerva had to intervene. The Headmistress had nearly gone and yelled at Severus for his insensitivity, but decided to make Severus see Hermione as the adorable, intelligent and witty witch that she was. And prove to both parties that Severus' survival was a good thing for them.

So, a masquerade Yule ball, where she herself would pair up the faculty and the few guests that would be attending, and they had no idea who it was that they were paired with. But, of course, knowing Hermione and Severus as she did, they would most likely want to keep their identities a secret. Therefore the stipulation that all teachers must stay to clean up and the enchantments that changed their appearance would end at midnight, half an hour before the dance ended, ensuring that they found out whom they had spent the evening with. Hopefully they realized through out the ball that they had more in common, so that when they saw who it was, they would be able to drop the pretences and berating, and start having a slightly functioning relationship.

The adults would all be dressing as fictional characters from muggle classical literature, and Minerva herself would be assigning the book to each of the teacher pairs. She planed on giving the book "Pride and Prejudice" to Hermione and Severus, hoping that it would give each of them a hint as to where their relationship should go, according to the Headmistress.

Yes, tonight's dance would go very well, Minerva hoped.

**_Reviews are Love_**

**_This is an old story that I found on my hard drive that I decided to fix up a little and post for all of you lovely people. As reviews come in, I may edit some of the content before I post the next chapter. But the story is completely written and will be around ten chapters, one chapter a day. Enjoy!_**


	2. Severus as Darcy

Damn Minerva. She was getting worse than Albus ever was in manipulating his life. But without putting him in any actual bodily harm.

He had to spend the evening with some twitter brained collogue of his or a dimwitted guest, who most likely would be able to guess who he was in an instant, seeing as he was nearly on of the only other male teachers at Hogwarts. The others were either too nice, too short, to fat or too… well… giant. And his obvious personality traits; those would be difficult to hide.

But who was it that Minerva was going to pair him with? She had better not stick Granger on him all night. Damn girl didn't know when to shut up and always had to put her two cents in. She was an annoying little child who had barely grown up. Most of the time he still saw her as the little eleven year old girl with her hand forever stuck in the air that he had first met fourteen years ago, simply in grown up clothes and trying to teach Transfigurations to her class mates.

Well, whomever he was paired with, he would throw them off kilter hopefully. He was basing his look for the night off of the Mr. Darcy that was madly and truly in love with Elizabeth Bennett. No one would ever guess him to go for such a loose look. Severus had cut his hair a few years ago, so that it was only a few inches long, so he left the thin black strands tousled slightly as though he had run his hands through it a few times. His eyes were changed to his mother's brilliant blue color, that he had not inherited, but always wished that he had; it was his private way of remembering his mother after all this time. He shrunk his nose to normal size, and then changed his facial structure slightly so that he was unrecognizable. Along with the elegant mask that he had transfigured to doubly hide his looks.

As for the voice, it had to change. Who wouldn't recognize it? Such a low slurring drawl, especially if he had ever taught whomever he was paired with tonight. Severus had looked up a potion earlier in the week that would slightly heighten the pitch for the few hours of the Ball before reverting back to its normal smooth baritone.

Severus decided to wear navy blue trousers, an un-tucked white tunic shirt and a simple over coat, unbuttoned, thrown on. He looked in the mirror, nodding at his appearance.

"That will do," he murmured.

Damn Minerva, the enchantment that she put on all of the participants was already giving him a tightening sensation where his stomach should be, compelling him to seek out his partner. If she paired him with Granger, he would never forgive her. Darn chit talked to him too much.

_**Reviews are love!**_

_**Thank you to all of those who put me on their alert or favorite list. This chapter is for you all.**_


	3. Finally Face To Face

Hermione was sure that Minerva was plotting to pair her with Severus; why else would she put on this absurd masquerade?

The woman sighed; she really didn't want whomever she was paired with to know who she was, even if it was Severus. The first thing she did was added a green hue to her eyes, then reddened her shoulder length brown hair. She left her button nose as is, then heightened her cheek bones enough to be unrecognizable; a new woman met Hermione in the mirror. She hoped that it was enough to deter anyone from guessing that it was her along with the cream and green feathered mask that she had from an old trip to the United States with her parents when they still remembered her. They had gone to New Orleans one summer, the summer between her fourth and fifth year at Hogwarts. Right before life truly changed drastically.

She turned her eye to the simple flowing cream dress that she had transfigured out of a pillow case. Quickly, she slipped it on. It didn't form directly to her body, but draped gracefully from her upper body to barely trail against the ground. A pair of simple matching white flats completed the outfit. A few pearl and diamond pins went into her loosely curled hair to pull it away from her face and she was ready to go.

Just as she was stepping out of her rooms, a dull ache pulled at the point just below her breasts. She knew that this was the feeling that would guide her to whoever was to be her escort this evening, so she walked quickly to the Great Hall, in hopes that he wouldn't guess from where she had come. The stupid dull ache reminded her of the feeling that she got every time she lay in bed, thinking of all the cutting remarks Severus had thrown at her, or his threats to the unknown person that had saved him. He had no idea, of course, that it was she who had given him the proper antidotes and potions to restore his strength enough to get him to Poppy, and tried her hardest to not dwell upon it until she was safely in bed, where her tears would forever go unnoticed.

That dreadful feeling had started to manifest itself at other, more inconvenient times, like whenever she had the fortune, or misfortune, to sit beside him at meals, or when a biting phrase he had said earlier had popped into her head while teaching. It was getting nearly uncontrollable, which was intolerable. Maybe being near him, and seeing him everyday didn't help. She was toying with the idea of leaving Hogwarts after this year, and going back to university to study more subjects. It wasn't that she didn't like teaching, but the proximity to certain Professor's was detrimental to her emotional and mental well being, slowly seeping into her physical health.

During her musings, she hadn't noticed the feeling grow stronger, until she heard a polite voice speak from behind her.

"Excuse me, but I believe you might be the person that our dearest Minerva has paired me with for the evening," Hermione turned, and curtsied slightly to his proper bow as he held out an arm for her to take. _Well, who ever it is, he sure is a gentleman_.

"Thank you, kind sir," she said, taking the offered arm feeling the tension slip away quickly.

He was handsome, she'd give him that. But then again his extreme resemblance to a certain potions master helped him in that regard. His hair, the intensity of his blue eyes, slim mouth, and thin build.

"My pleasure, fair lady," he took her hand and kissed it quickly before settling it in the crook of his arm again. As they walked into the hall, both noticed the other wince. The amount of noise and activity that the students were already making was insane. Hermione almost laughed out loud at their similar reactions.

"I would have much rather spent the evening reading, than sitting in this noisy room watching over adolescent students," she commented, hoping to lure out of him hints of whom he was. She knew that the real Severus would much rather stay in his rooms also.

"That sounds much more appealing," he commented, looking down at her. His eyes were a soft blue, with warm flecks of black in them.

She blushed, and looked away, surveying the room for a slightly peaceful place to sit.

"Over there," he pointed out in a bored tone, as if reading her mind. They gradually waded their way to a less chaotic corner of the Great Hall. Hermione dropped her hand from his arm when they got there, only to have to fight the urge to put it back when the intense feeling reasserted itself in her stomach. The man beside her sighed, taking her hand in his.

"It seems that Minerva would like us to stay as close as possible for the evening," he commented, not paying much attention to her by observing the crowd. He was a chaperone after all, not here simply for her company.

Hermione hid a bit of a grin, and a groan, and followed suit. It had to be him. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach; this evening was going to be difficult.

_**Reviews are Love**_

_**Thank you to those who have reviewed! It's nice to get a note just saying that this is good, and to keep posting. Happy 4th of July to any American Readers! Sorry to all those who are from England, but we enjoy the freedom.**_


	4. First Thoughts

_I will kill Minerva if this is Granger because this woman is nearly perfect_. Severus thought as he glanced down at the adorable creature beside him. Her small cold hand fit well within his larger hand, and she wasn't babbling incessantly like he imagined Granger would be. She was actually rather a pleasant partner for the evening, simply looking out over the crowd as he was, making sure no students were up to any shenanigans. Commenting scathingly on the antics of the children. He almost wondered if Minerva had actually listened to his request to not be around the young chit and paired him with one of their guests for the evening. Severus doubted it though, she knew most of the staff fairly intimately based on their conversation so far. This woman had to be a professor.

Now that he thought about it, the Transfigurations Professor had been rather quiet during meals lately. He hadn't really been paying attention to her this school year, rather, he had been complaining to Minerva about everything, and mindlessly belittling everyone. All in all, it was a good year so far for him, despite Granger's unexplained silence. Now that he thought about it again, their arguments had been rather fun her first year as a teacher, and last year she had mellowed, and now this year she hardly ever said anything to him. Or to anyone other than Minerva.

"If you had been able to stay in your rooms, what would you have read?" he asked. Severus wanted as many hints as to whom his companion was as possible. She looked at him, then away quickly with a faint blush.

"I'm in the middle of a classical reading binge, actually, so currently I'm reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby"," She looked up again, and held his eyes, "what would you be reading?"

"Probably the latest academic journal," he said, looking into her eyes. They were a pretty shade of hazel, and held the faintest spark of interest.

"Which journals do you prescribe to?" she asked almost timidly. He quirked his mouth a little, and they proceeded to discuss the latest academic findings in the Wizarding world and surprisingly the Muggle world as well. Severus found that his companion was well versed in most topics, including potions, which was rare to find in any woman, no less everything else she was able to thoroughly keep up with.

During their conversation, she stood close to him, almost touching (with the exception of their already joined hands). And when Severus offered for them to go get a drink, she walked close to him, using him as a shield to get through the crowd. He gladly allowed her to do so. She was very attractive, and caught a few other men and some boys looking at him with envy. Severus smirked, feeling good to have, at least for an evening, people jealous of him. She clung to him on the way back to their spot against the wall as well.

Who ever it was that Severus had been spending this enjoyable evening with, he liked her. It also seemed as though she did too, which was always good, but she had this slight air of caution when conversing with him, that made him wonder if she guessed who he was already. He had an inkling that Minerva would be devious enough to set him up with Hermione Granger, and if it was her, he might lighten up on the girl and actually get to know her. She would at least be able to supply a good conversation.

_**Reviews are love**_

_**Thank you for the reviews that I've received so far, I'm glad that you've enjoyed this so far!**_


	5. The Reveal

"Who are you?" the man who she decided was most diffidently Severus, finally asked her during a lull in their conversation in their corner of the Great Hall. She had expected him to break long before this. They were sitting closely beside each other; he had an arm draped around her shoulders, holding her close to him. They were looking out over the hall, instead of each other.

"Who do you think I am?" Hermione was actually very nervous that he would guess correctly and decide to treat her like a pariah for the rest of the night. The evening had gone so well, the conversation engaging, the tone very light, and they had gotten to know each other as well as they could without giving away too much information.

"Well, you're obviously on staff here at Hogwarts, what with how intimately you know the staff, you're not Pomona or Poppy, they're much to motherly. Nor Fillius, he's too short, and Trelawney would have tried to read my fortune by now," he leaned back and measured her up, "Minerva would never have flirted with me, and I know for a fact that Sinistra and Vector are _Together_ together, so that just leaves… Hagrid," his face was so serious, she burst out laughing.

"You've caught me," her eyes crinkled at the corners with her smile. But at the same time, there was a painful sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. He knew who she was, he had to. _Please let him not treat me too harshly now…_

_**Reviews are Love**_

_**Sorry that this is so short! I'll update tomorrow. Promise**  
><em>


	6. Dance With Me?

So it was Hermione, Severus reasoned. He knew now that it was her. Her smile before, while they were talking, had been so shy, but bright, and he found himself smirking back much too often for his own comfort. Severus was lost in her eyes, knowing that he really did like the woman in front of him. He had found that he had no idea who Hermione Granger really was, and he wanted to get to know her. He noticed that a sensible waltz was playing, so he decided to ask her to dance.

"May I have this dance?" he asked her with a bow as he stood.

"Of course," she sounded sad as she stood and curtsied a bit, keeping to their formalities, and he led her onto the dance floor. Severus pulled her close and led her through the steps easily. She was a very good dancer, he admitted to himself. He liked that. When he felt her relaxing a little in his arms, he decided to start their conversation again.

"Hermione," he started.

"Don't," she said quietly, "Not yet Severus, I just want to enjoy the moment a little longer," so she knew who he was, which was why he was a little shocked at what she said, and even more so when she laid her head on his shoulder. He liked her there, pushed up against him, which was why Severus decided to pull her a little closer, shocking her into looking up at him, and gently placed his lips on hers. Severus didn't know what propelled him to do it, but he knew that it felt good to have her in his arms, and he liked how smart she was. When he pulled back, he noticed tears on her cheeks.

"Hey," he said softly, "there's no need to cry," he reached a hand up and gently brushed the tears away.

"This isn't right," she pulled away from him, but Severus was quick enough to grab her hand and pull her close again. He was getting mixed signals from her, first wanting to be closer, now running away, "I'm the person that you swear you will murder if you ever find out their identity because they saved you that night in the shrieking shack, I'm the person that you mindlessly belittle on a daily basis, telling me that I'm a worthless waste of space. I'm the woman that loves you so much that I cry myself to sleep every night because you hate me, but I still wake up caring in the morning…" Hermione covered her mouth with her hand as more tears fell. She wrenched her hand out of his, and raced from the Great Hall. No one seemed to notice the little tiff that had just occurred on the outskirts of the dance floor.

Severus stood stunned, motionless amongst the happy dancing couples around him. She had saved him? Even when everyone thought him a traitor, she went to the extreme trouble, even risking her own life and reputation, to save him? Why would she do a silly thing like that?

_Because she cares about me_, his mind supplied. He realized he cared about her too, after spending an enjoyable evening with her. But what to say to her? He wasn't sure what he would say, but he knew that he needed to find her and tell her that he wanted to try working out a friendship with her. Severus may have only had this one true evening of knowing her, but he liked what he saw, and wasn't willing to give up so easily.

Weaving through the crowd, he made his way towards the doors, and once outside, he saw Hermione on the steps. Severus approached slowly, pulling off his mask once he got closer. Her mask was already off, resting in her lap as she hid her face in her hands while sobbing quietly.

"Hermione," he sat on the step below her, pulling her hands away to wipe the tears away himself, "Please, don't cry, I'm not worth it."

"Oh Severus, you are worth it," she whispered, "Everything I have, I owe to you. It was me who went back into the shack to heal you and quietly took you to the hospital wing. I made Harry clear your name with the press, and thus the Ministry. Something in me knew the whole time that something wasn't right about your actions that year. And after my respect only grew after that until I became your colleague, and our fiery arguments ignited this passion within me, and I fell irrevocably in love with you. Then in my second year… I slowly lost my will to fight you, it drained me so much to argue with a man who I was so attached to, and became content to simply observe you. This year, I couldn't do any of it. I was convinced up till a few hours ago that you would never see me someone worthy of your time and effort, and you grew even more caustic towards everyone around you, especially that nameless person who forced you to live. Minerva finally cornered me and I couldn't hold it in any longer and confessed to her, and this masquerade, I believe, is the result. I'm so sorry I forced you into this, I'm probably going to leave Hogwarts next year any ways so you wont..."

She was forced into silence by Severus' lips slanting over hers. Hermione forgot how to think as she focused on the man that she so desperately was holding on to.

"I would very much like it if you stayed," he breathed out once they had parted, "and I stopped regretting living about a month after the final battle, it's simply fun to pester Minerva about it. So it is I who should be thanking you, my dear," he lightly kissed her again then pulled her close. Hermione quietly cried into his shirt, and Severus realized how truly she felt about him. She was going to leave the place he had heard her comment to Minerva as her home, because it would make dealing with her heartbreak easier.

"Severus?" she looked up at him.

"Yes," he responded quietly.

"Dance with me?" he stood and pulled her off of the stairs, swaying to the soft music coming from the Great Hall. Soon enough, the midnight bell began to toll, and they watched as their faces turned back to their normal appearances. Their eye color shifted and facial structure slid back into place. Hermione was still enchanting in her own skin as she was only a moment before.

"Do you think that we can do this?" he asked in the hollow silence after the bells.

"Between you and me, the two smartest people in all of Hogwarts, I think that we'll figure something out," she smiled shyly up at him.

"Good," he murmured while his heart constricted in his chest at her smile. His hand slipped to the back of her neck and he kissed her. Hermione's response was to arch up into him and wrap her arms around his neck, running her fingers through his silky hair that she found there. Severus' arms relocated to her back, pulling her as close to him as possible.

She gasped a little, and he took that moment to sweep his tongue into her mouth, and they, of course, fought over dominance. They resurfaced when the need for air became too noticeable to ignore. He saw the old familiar glint of fire burning in her eyes as she grinned up at him.

"We should go help encourage kids to get back to their dorms," Hermione said.

"I suppose we should," he chuckled, burying his face in her hair. She barely came up to his chin in height.

They clasped hands, and walked into the Great Hall. Those closest to them noticed, and started whispering to their neighbors, Severus glanced down at Hermione, nervous that she may change her mind now that people see her with the Bat of the Dungeons. She looked up at him knowingly, and smiled widely while simultaneously squeezing his hand in reassurance. They continued to make their way through the crowd, Hermione telling students to go back to their Common Rooms in a gentle tone, while Severus scowled at them to reiterate the statement.

It was the perfect balance of kind and firm dealings.

_**Reviews are Love**_

_**This chapter is dedicated to those reviewers who requested longer chapters.**_


	7. A Sweet Goodnight

Finally, they made it to the gathering group of teachers, most of the students gone.

"Severus, Hermione, glad that you could join us," Minerva said with a knowing smile and slight twinkle in her eye.

"Hermione, you look stunning tonight," Pomona said. Severus leaned down.

"I agree," he whispered into her ear quietly, mouth brushing over it slightly. She shivered and he smirked.

"Thank you Pomona, you look lovely yourself," she smiled at the Herbology teacher. The woman looked as though her book had been themed by a Shakespearean tale.

Minerva quickly took over the crowd of teachers and sent them off to clean up after the students. Hermione and Severus stuck together, and dodged questions from their colleagues about the change in their relationship. With the combined efforts of all of them, the finished cleaning up quickly and most headed off to bed.

One twenty seven in the morning found Severus and Hermione wandering about the corridors of Hogwarts on the way towards her rooms. Hermione stopped them in front of a portrait of a sad Ballerina.

"Good night," she said, moving up on her toes to give him a slow kiss that caused her to go weak in the knees, and the only thing saving her from sinking to the floor were Severus' arms holding her up.

"Sweet dreams Hermione," he whispered when they broke for air, and he let her go slowly, making sure that she would be able to stand on her own. He then slipped down the corridor quietly, going straight down to his quarters in the dungeon, knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep because of the angelic creature that he had just walked away from.

Severus was being chivalrous, she knew. Hermione sighed happily before whispering her password and entering her quarter's with a smile. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect evening. She would take it slow with Severus, make sure that they were both sure about how they felt about one another throughout their relationship.

**_Reviews are Love_**

**_I am very over whelmed by all of the positive feed back that I am getting! Thank you._ _And to Remiccolim, I hope that I'm able to update tomorrow! Happy Birthday today if I am unable to._**


	8. Red Menace

Her fire was burning brightly as she stepped into her room, and she noticed a familiar red head sitting o her couch. Hermione stopped, why on earth was he here?

"Where have you been Hermione?" Ronald Weasley asked, standing up and looking at her. She knew that he had been on the guest list, but never imagined him waiting up for her. There short fling after the war had been ended by her, much to his repeated dismay through out the years.

"Out patrolling the hallways to make sure no students were still out after the ball," she crossed her arms, "what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to see my best friend," he said, studying her sternly, "Who were you with?"

"No one Ron," she sighed, "it's late, come back tomorrow? I don't have any classes."

"Why don't I just stay the night?" he moved closer to her with a predatory look in his eyes.

"Leave Ronald. Now," she pulled out her wand, "My answer is still no to you, as it always will be."

"Why? Don't you love me?" he still came closer.

"As a brother Ron! You and Harry are like my brothers, get that through your thick head!" she pointed her wand at him; he looked at it warily, then back up to her.

"Please Hermione, just to see what we're like together, it might change your mind," he took another step forward. She sent a light stinging hex at him, producing a yelp.

"Get out," she her voice was barely above a whisper, eyes cold, "you ruin everything, just get out!" The stupid, immature boy made a tactical retreat via Floo, afraid that she would send a stronger hex to more intimate parts of his anatomy if he pushed her any further.

Trying to control her tears, she blocked and warded her fireplace, then made her way into her bedroom. She pulled out the pins in her hair and set them on her vanity before throwing herself on her bed and crying into her pillow.

Ron was a stupid git. He never got over her not wanting to date him. She really did honestly see him more as a brother than someone to get into bed with. To her, being with Ron would be entirely too awkward, but he never has seemed to understand that.

She fell into a fitful slumber, only getting a minimal amount of sleep before deciding to get up and take a shower. Hermione slipped on muggle pants and sweater before throwing a teacher's robe on over top and making her way to the Great Hall for an early breakfast.

_**Reviews are Love**_

_**I would like to thank the lovely readers, and reviewers! This is probably going to be one of my last stories before going off to University. Aims, go you for getting into SSHG, never stop. Linda, I'm glad you liked the romance! I'm a total sucker for romance myself.**_


	9. Learn To Listen

Severus had barely been able to sit still all night, with thoughts of Hermione running through his mind. It had all happened so fast, but there was no question in his mind about how right it felt to be companionable with her. He decided to get to breakfast early in hopes of being able to get there before her. As he approached the Great Hall, he noticed a dark clothed figure already there.

The person turned, and proved to be Hermione. He reacted quickly as the woman hurled her body into his.

"Sleep well?" he asked. She shook her head, face buried in his neck, and he felt the dampness of tears, "Hey, it'll be okay, don't you worry," he consoled, for what reason he didn't know.

"I'm sorry, it's just that when I went into my rooms last night, Ron was there and he was a total pig so I kicked him out. He's so desperate to get me into bed and make me one of his many conquests that he doesn't see how much he's like family to me. I had to hex him before he would leave," she took a deep breath then looked up at him, "but you don't need to hear that; how was your night?" she amazed him with her selflessness and strength to pull herself together after her emotional break.

"I missed you," he kissed her forehead, "and I will make sure that Weasley doesn't ever try that again," she smiled up at him.

"Thank-you," she whispered, leaning up to give him a short, sweet kiss.

"Oi! Get your hands off of her you greasy bat!" an enraged voice yelled. Hermione whipped her head to glare angrily at the owner of the voice.

"Ronald Weasley! You insensitive child, what do you want?" She hissed while holding tightly to Severus.

"You Hermione, I love you-" anything else that he was going to say was cut off by a spell. Within moments, the poor sod was petrified and suspended upside down in the air.

Severus looked down at the seething witch at his side, guessing that it was her that caused Weasley's current problem.

"Hermione, dear, don't do anything too rash. The students will be arriving for breakfast soon," he drawled. She flashed him a grim smile before turning back to the silent boy.

"I know Severus, don't worry. Nothing will be permanent. Now Ronald, I have said it once, and I will now say it for the last time. You. Are. Like. My. Own. Brother. Being with you to me would like you being with Ginny. It's just sick! And don't you dare call Severus a greasy bat. His hair isn't greasy, and he has shown more propriety in his little toe than you can hope to have in a lifetime," she set him gently down on the ground. Severus noticed, with a start, that she had done all of this magic wordlessly and sans a wand. He made a note to himself to never get on her bad side.

"Now Ronald, I'm going to release the spells on you. Then you have fifteen seconds to leave Hogwarts. I will not be responsible for what happens if you don't adhere to those rules. From this day on, you will never again approach me with any intentions other than those of a friend, and you will accept what ever decisions that I make with MY life," Severus noted that Weasley's body slumped a little, and He knew that Hermione was had already started counting down in her mind.

"I believe that she said to leave, Weasley," Severus sneered at the boy and almost laughed when the ginger tripped over himself to get out of the castle, "That was quiet the show Hermione," he said, noticing a few older students and teachers watching the events from a good distance away.

"Yes, but now I'm extremely hungry," she said, and leaned on him, more than she probably would have on a normal day, as they walked into the Great Hall. He pulled out her chair for her, and then settled in beside her.

_**Reviews are Love**_

_**Readers are also Love**_


	10. Hold Me Tight

They ate in companionable silence while the school slowly trickled in. Hermione appreciated that Severus didn't feel the need to discuss her loss of temper. She noticed her students' looks of awe and weariness, and felt a little ashamed of her actions towards Ronald. When her colleagues approached the table to sit, they complemented her on her quick use of magic. She winced every time they said anything.

"Good morning Hermione," said Minerva merrily, sitting on the other side of Severus, "I trust you had a pleasant evening last night?" she smiled, looking between Hermione and Severus with a knowing twinkle in her eyes.

"It was quiet lovely, thank you," Hermione replied quietly, wanting to escape from all the eyes on her.

"Excellent! How about you Severus?" Minerva grinned like a child on Christmas.

"I agree with Professor Granger," he said, finding his morning coffee utterly enthralling. Before Minerva could say anything else, Hermione cut in.

"Excuse me Minerva, but Professor Snape and I have some serious matters to discuss, so, if you will just excuse us," Hermione stood quickly and walked out of the back teachers' door of the Great Hall, not bothering to see if Severus followed.

She didn't get too far before slim, warm fingers intertwined with hers and walked with her to her quarters.

"A light in the darkness," she mumbled to the ballerina. It swung open quickly and she pulled him in and sat heavily on the couch in front of the fire, "I'm really tired," she mumbled after a few minutes of silence.

"Then sleep," he fought the urge to roll his eyes as her obvious statement.

"I will," she stood and pulled off her robes, leaving her in her muggle clothes. She grabbed his hand, "Come on," she pulled him towards a closed door that once opened, revealed her bedroom.

"Hermione, I-" he started.

"All I want is for you to hold me while I sleep. I want to feel safe, and for most of my life, I haven't. Not since meeting Harry. The constant worry for the Wizarding world has kept me on edge since I was eleven. We both know that with each other around, we'll be able to sleep better. So for now, please just lay down with me?" she looked at him with pleading brown eyes that he no longer had any hope of say no to.

His response was to take off his robes, frock coat, and shoes before stretching out on the bed. She slipped her shoes off, and curled up next to him.

"Thank you Severus," she mumbled. He pulled her into his arms, and pushed the hair from her face.

"Sleep well Hermione," he held her close. She smiled, and after a few minutes, her breathing evened out.

Severus studied the enigmatic creature in his arms. She was lovely, enjoyed reading, sometimes talked too much to those whom she knew well, and sometimes didn't. She had proved how extremely powerful she was, cared too much about people who didn't deserve it, and could sometimes be more stubborn than him.

And she wanted him.

He was glad that Hermione had saved his life, only for the reason that he had finally found someone who could stand him, and keep an intelligent conversation with. Yes, he was glad to be alive.

_Must stay on her good side though…_ was his last lingering thought as he let blissful sleep finally overtake him.

_nox_

_**Reviews are Love**_

_**Thank you to those who have followed this story! And to all who have reviewed, you have my heart.**_

_**To address almost everyone's complaint about the short chapters, I happen to enjoy leaving you all in suspense. At least you guys had the comfort of knowing that I updated often and had the story already completed.**_

_**Thank you again, laurawillows**  
><em>


End file.
